Prospect Talent Score

Probability of Success

History

2008-09: Patrick Cehlin played most of the season for Djugardens in the J20 league. In 36 games, he scored 10 goals and added 25 assists for 35 points. In 6 playoff games in that league, Cehlin scored 1 goal and added 2 assists for 3 points. Chelin played for Sweden in the U-18 World Junior Championships, scoring 2 goals and adding 2 assists for 4 points in 6 games.

2009-10: Cehlin played for Djurgardens in the Elitserien for most of the season. In 54 games, he scored 5 goals and added 6 assists for 11 points. In 16 playoff games, Cehlin picked up 2 assists.

2010-11: Cehlin skated in 48 of 54 games for Djurgardens in Sweden’s Elitserien as a 19-year-old. Averaging just over 12 minutes of ice time per game, Cehlin scored 4 goals with 12 assists and was +6 with 14 PMs. Djurgardens finished sixth during the regular season. Cehlin skated in 6 of 7 games during Djurgardens’ first round series with Lulea and was -2 with 1 goal and 2 PMs. Cehlin played for fourth-place Sweden at the 2011 U20 World Junior Championship and was +4 with 4 goals, 2 assists and 18 PMs.

2011-12: Cehlin spent his third season with Djurgarden; appearing in 48 of 55 games, primarily in a lower line role. He scored 10 goals with 4 assists and was plus-one with 20 penalty minutes while averaging 10:26 minutes of ice time. Djurgarden finished 11th in the Elitserien and was relegated to Allsvenskan after finishing third in the five-team Kval series. Cehlin skated in 8 of 10 games during the Kval series and was minus-two with no points and 2 penalty minutes. He signed a three-year entry-level contract with Nashville in June 2012.

2012-13: Cehlin skated in 70 games for Nashville AHL affiliate Milwaukee in his first season with the Predators organization. He scored 9 goals with 23 assists and was -1 with 28 penalty minutes. The Admirals finished second in the Midwest Division and lost to Texas in a first round playoff series. Cehlin had 1 goal and was an even plus/minus in four playoff games. Cehlin played one ECHL game with Cincinnati, scoring an empty net goal in a February game with the Cyclones before returning to Milwaukee.

2013-14: A lower body injury in November forced Cehlin to miss 35 games but the 22-year-old from Sweden was one of the top forwards for Nashville AHL affiliate Milwaukee after returning to the lineup. He scored two goals with 11 assists over one 11 game stretch after re-joining the Admirals at the end of February. He finished the regular season with six goals and 18 assists and was plus-seven with 33 penalty minutes in 38 games. Cehlin played in two of the three playoff games in the first round series against the Toronto Marlies and scored one goal with one assist.

2014-15: Cehlin got off to a late start while recuperating from off-season surgery — shuttling between Nashville AHL and ECHL affiliates Milwaukee and Cincinnati before returning to Sweden in January 2015. He was +1 with no points and 2 penalty minutes in four AHL games with the Admirals. Cehlin scored 3 goals with 1 assist and was -4 with 6 penalty minutes in nine games with Cincinnati. He played 13 games for Leksand and was -5 with 2 goals and 4 penalty minutes.

Talent Analysis

Cehlin is an excellent skater who accelerates well and has good top speed. He is an offensive-minded player with good technical skills and creativity. He passes the puck well and is a good scorer. Cehlin is inconsistent in his defensive game showed some chemistry playing with fellow Swedish forward prospects Calle Jarnkrok and Filip Forsberg for Milwaukee in 2013-14 but struggled to return from injury in 2014-15. He will look to get his career back on track this season in Sweden.

Future

Cehlin will skate for Rogle Bk in 2015-16, looking to bounce back from the injuries and inconsistent play of last season. With several new offensive prospects in the Predators organization since he was first drafted, Cehlin faces long odds to one day skate in Nashville. His offensive instincts and skills may one day provide an opportunity with another franchise if he can return to full strength and develop consistency on both ends of the ice.

Photo: The Nashville Predators have invested a lot of assets in European players like prospect Joonas Lyytinen over the years, but the returns have been somewhat sluggish (courtesy of Atte Rissanen/Champions Hockey League via Getty Images)

The Nashville Predators have one of their top prospects playing in the NCAA ranks — though Jimmy Vesey’s ultimate destination has been a source of much conjecture. The other five prospects playing college hockey are less established at this point.

Photo: Nashville Predators prospect and 2010 first-round pick Austin Watson has established himself as a consistent player in the AHL while waiting for his NHL opportunity (courtesy of Frank Jansky/Icon Sportswire)

Entering the 2010 NHL Draft the Nashville Predators were coming off a successful regular season followed by yet another disappointing first round series loss in the playoffs.

Nashville finished third in the Central Division in 2009-10, reaching 100 points for the third time in five seasons, but lost to eventual Stanley Cup champion Chicago in six games in the first round. This marked the fifth straight time Nashville lost in the first round and the Predators would not win their first playoff series until the 2010-11 season.

Photo: Nashville prospect Vladislav Kamenev had just one goal in the KHL playoffs as Metallurg failed to defend its Gagarin Cup title (courtesy of Terry Wilson/CHL Images)

Although the top prospects in the Nashville Predators organization currently skate for AHL affiliate Milwaukee, there are many players competing at the NCAA level or in European leagues this season.The distance from North American professional hockey is telling in some cases, but there is no lack of quality prospects in the two different developmental venues.

Photo: Nashville Predators prospect Austin Watson has been an inconsistent scorer for the Milwaukee Admirals of the AHL (courtesy of Frank Jansky/Icon Sportswire)

The Milwaukee Admirals have one of the youngest lineups in the American Hockey League — with nine first-year pros and 15 players 23 years of age or younger, including both goaltenders. Three of those rookies are among the scoring leaders for the Admirals while both goalies have been impressive at times.

Photo: Filip Forsberg recorded one goal and four assists in 13 games with the Nashville Predators in 2013-14. (courtesy of Jeanine Leech/Icon SMI)

The Nashville Predators have made a push in recent years to get more scoring talent into their organization and, while that has not yet paid dividends on the pro level, it is reflected in the prospect pool. Read more»